


PS I Love You

by Amorfati32



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 11:12:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18548611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amorfati32/pseuds/Amorfati32
Summary: Based on the tumblr prompt: Skinner hears Scully telling someone she loves them over the telephone





	PS I Love You

He was going to kill Fox Mulder. He was going to find him, rip him into shreds and enjoy every single second of it. Skinner knew Mulder by now, he’d put up with him for the past twenty years but now enough was enough. He thought he’d heard every single one of Mulder’s theories but this latest one knocked all others out of the park. A lizard man. A man by day, a lizard by night. If Skinner didn’t know better he’d have presumed Mulder was high, or at the very least drunk when he wrote the report; Scully too if she stood back and let him submit it. Skinner had thought about summoning the two agents up to his office, but then thought twice about it. He didn’t want to give Mulder any thinking time to prepare his argument, so instead he got to his feet, still clutching the report in his hand, walked out of his office and told his secretary Donna to hold his calls, before he made his way to the elevator. With every step he took his anger intensified. He understood that Mulder and Scully didn’t really return to the X-Files to deal with the smaller cases, that their focus was on the bigger picture, but there was no need to treat this all like a joke. He was fully prepared to tell them that as the elevator dinged and the doors opened out into the basement. As he approached the office he heard talking, and when he reached the door he realized it was Scully speaking on the telephone; Mulder was nowhere to be seen. Skinner paused, frustrated that he’d had a wasted journey, but he knew it wasn’t fair to take out his anger on Scully when he was pretty sure her partner was to blame for the more “out there” sections of the report.

Just as he was about to turn and walk away rather than interrupt Scully’s phone call, he heard his agent let out a giggle. “Okay, I’ll see you tonight.”

Hesitating, Skinner wondered who Scully was talking to. It had been a long time since he’d heard her laugh; not that she’d had much chance of late with her separation from Mulder and her mother’s recent passing. But as he peered into the basement office, he saw his agent sporting a smug grin, her cheeks flushed. He hoped it was a friend, that there wasn’t another man responsible for putting that smile on her face. “You know I do,” Scully said, breaking through Skinner’s thoughts. Suddenly he wasn’t quite so sure he was talking to a friend, and her next words confirmed his suspicions. “I love you too.”

*Oh god* Though he knew what she’d had to endure before she left Mulder, and he couldn’t really blame her for wanting to move on, Skinner wasn’t sure how Mulder would cope with the knowledge that his wife had found someone else. Mulder had been doing well lately; he’d been taking his meds and going to therapy – at least that’s what he’d told Skinner – and he hoped that one day he and Scully might reconcile their differences. One day. But now that seemed unlikely. Skinner glanced over his shoulder, as though fearful Mulder was standing behind him listening to every word. Thankfully Skinner was alone. Unwilling to listen any further, he moved to take a step back just as Scully spoke again. “Mulder, stop it! I’ll see you at home.” And with those words Skinner felt himself relax. She was talking to Mulder. She loved Mulder. Of course she did. Skinner felt ridiculous for even thinking otherwise. And then he recalled what else Scully had told her husband, that she’d see him at home. Not “his home”, not “the house” but “home.” Surely that meant she –

“Sir?”

Skinner blinked as he suddenly came face-to-face with Scully. She looked surprised to see him, and a little embarrassed too. “Did you want me?”

“I uh…” For a second he’d forgotten why he was even in the basement. “No actually, I needed to speak with Mulder.”

“He was just on the phone.”

“So I gathere…” Skinner’s cheeks flushed as he realized he’d said too much. Scully noticed his slip-up but politely chose not to mention it.

“Is it urgent? I can call him back.”

“It’s nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.”

“Do you need anything else? I was just about to head home.”

“No. You have a good evening Scully.”

“You too.” She’d just reached the door to the elevtor when Skinner called out to her. “Dana? I’m happy for you both.”

After a moment she smiled. “Thanks Walter. I’ll see you tomorrow.”


End file.
